


please stop the time ( i want to stay )

by zenithzinc



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Gen, Prequel, Short One Shot, guanlin pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 18:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11538276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenithzinc/pseuds/zenithzinc
Summary: guanlin had never wished for anything, until he met jihoon.





	please stop the time ( i want to stay )

**Author's Note:**

> prequel to only if i could

guanlin didn’t really remember a portion of his childhood prior coming to lotus pond. sometimes he’d see fire dancing behind his lids and heard screams which woke him up at all times, but other than those, none. a part of him always reminded that those memories wasn’t worth to remember, thus he paid no mind. he’s not curious either. despite his lowly class in society, he’d lived a very good, comfortable life.

when he’s still a child, everyone called him a little prince. he could do everything he wanted and no one except his mother, the head of the house, would ever scold him. most of the people, even visitors, would compete to be his favorite, all of them would spoil him rotten, showering him with an endless flow of presents. every year, people would bet on his beauty, saying that time would definitely be his peak, there’s no way he could get any better, only to be surprised the following year. 

at the age of fifteen, his mother stopped allowing him to perform. he’d remain in his room during any important visit, the more important, the more he should hide. 

when he asked why, his mother would simply answer, “ it’s dangerous.” 

he didn’t understand but asked no more.

that day, spring had been on its way. it’s a slow day, there’s almost no guest in sight, and guanlin was bored. he’d just finished his lunch when he walked past a pavilion filled with new members of the house. his mother was sitting at the front as usual as she waited for a young kid to recite a poem. 

“ guanlin-ah, here, sit with us.” 

he did as he’s told, sitting next to other seniors who’re watching as well. in his boredom, he eventually came up with an idea which ended up as regret of a lifetime. as soon as the kid received his mother acknowledgment, the seniors immediately hauled him to one of their quarters for the punishment.

he’d never guessed it’s that inconvenient for women to dress up everyday. and the wig was definitely heavy. he refused to take a look in the mirror.

“ fortunately, you’re a boy or else no one will look at us!” his senior cooed at him, patting his cheek fondly.

one of them rushed to get a paper to draw him. the others had left in a hurry after news of a sudden visit from the son of a warlord and his friends. once the drawing was completed, guanlin was left alone in the room, stretching his body then slowly laying down. he’s surrounded by almost total silence; the only noise that reached him was the faint chatter of the guests at the neighbouring quarter. it sounded like a background music.

he didn’t know how long he had slept in there, but it’s almost dark when the door slid open, revealing a surprised young man. the separator was closed as abrupt as it’s opened. guanlin wondered why the other looked so taken aback until he realized he’s still in his punishment clothes, and the bottom had rid up to show one of his legs. 

“ i’m so sorry!” he could hear the man’s voice from the other side. “ i didn’t see anything!”

guanlin didn’t move until he’s sure the other had gone before running out. unfortunately, that day wasn’t his day and he bumped to the very same person on his way back to his room instead. 

“ eh, be careful!” 

both of them fell into the pond with a loud splash. 

 

 

 

the second time guanlin met the other in the heart of the capital, people were busy lighting lanterns. the whole city looked bright, there’re various shapes of vibrant lanterns all over the place, from floppy unidentified figures, to lifelike flowers to magnificent dragons. before the parade started in the evening, groups of street entertainers challenged each other to win a bag of gold as the prize from the king. 

guanlin assumed everyone gathered in the main street to see the parade. other than the lanterns, all he could see was a sea of people who constantly pushing forward. for once he felt grateful of his tall height, he still could see over his seniors head at the back. 

“ jinyoung-ah, jinyoung-“ a hand out of nowhere grabbed his sleeve. guanlin turned only to see the owner clung to his side. “ uh? sorry, you’re not jinyoung.” 

he’d seen that face before. “ i’m guanlin.” 

“ kwan-rin?” the former guest tried to regain his balance. “ ah sorry, for disturbing you, but- uhm. no it’s okay.” in those seconds he’d made more expression than guanlin did in a day. at last he flashed an awkward smile, then retreating back into the crowd.

for some inexplicable reason, guanlin ended up missing the fireworks to help the lost boy finding his friend. 

 

 

 

“ i’m park jihoon, prince of hanyang, thank you for your help!”

“ no! he’s- he's joking. i’m bae jinyoung. thank you for accompanying him."

“ no problem, i’m a prince too! lai guanlin, not kwanrin, from lotus pond. it’s my pleasure to help fellow prince."

 

 

 

they met again the following week. and again the next month. there’s no appointed date, only a series of see-you-again. sometimes the older would visit the house alone and stayed for as long as he could, the other times he would come with jinyoung and woojin and they went outside together, exploring secret hiding places guanlin had found or curious about. occasionaly they would frolic like kids, running after each other, swimming in the lake or flying kites, but more often than not, on days that only had both of them, they would just sit down and watched the scenery. 

the beach where they’re right now was guanlin’s favorite spot. due to his hidden location under a cliff, people barely knew its existence. once they arrived at the bottom, the back part of an old shipwreck welcomed them. 

jihoon’s face brightened up at the sight, “ wow, this looks so cool! can we check it out? ” 

“ i don’t know,” guanlin squinted his eyes trying to make out anything inside. “ it’s too dark. let’s bring the others next time? ”

“ uh, okay, deal! ”

they jumped down the last steps of rickety stairs then continued their way along the endless coastline. jihoon took off his coat and shoes before letting himself brought by the seawater. guanlin followed suit and joined him in the next second. 

for a moment, all he wished was for the time to stop. 

" guanlin, let's bet on who can reach that rock first!"

" if i win, can i get a kiss? "

 

 

 

the time kept ticking.

by the time he arrived, unlike usual, lotus pond was quiet. there’s no sound of drunk guests laughter nor any music filling the area. there’s no shadow of people busy walking back and forth in the main courtyard. there’re only dim lights bright enough to show people which way to go. 

in all his years living there, that’s the first time guanlin knocked on the front gate. the one who opened the door wasn’t any members of the house, but an unfamiliar man. they bowed to each other.

“ this way,” the stranger said. 

it felt weird, to have a guide entering your own home. although he saw no one as they walked past his quarter, the pond and the pavilion, he could feel few pairs of eyes sneaked a curious look between the gap of their door at seniors’ quarter. 

they eventually stopped in front of the inner gate leading to his mother’s quarter at the very back of the house. there’re five people in the matching uniform as the stranger waiting there- waiting for what- he didn’t know. after one of them came back from the inside, it’s his turn to enter the chamber.

guanlin heard her first before he saw her.

behind the curtain, an unfamiliar woman other than his mother sat in her place. an unfamiliar woman, who upon a sight of him, immediately stood up and rushed to him. an unfamiliar woman who cried as she pulled him into a tight embrace. an unfamiliar woman who spoke in his forgotten language. 

“ let’s go home, let’s go home, our real prince.”


End file.
